But that doesn't mean that the single life isn't still wrapped in stigma.

As New York University sociologist Eric Klinenberg writes in his book, "Going Solo," when discussed publicly, the rise of living alone is often presented as an unmitigated social problem and a sign of diminished public life.

Of course, not everybody thinks this way.

"For decades social scientists have been worrying that our social connections are fraying, that we've become a society of lonely narcissists," Klinenberg tells The New York Times. "I'm not convinced."

And neither are a number of researchers. These studies begin to unpack the question of how being single can contribute your success in life:

Single people tend to be more social

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Research suggests that, compared to married people, Americans who have always been single are more likely to support and stay in touch with their family and are more likely to help, encourage, and socialize with friends and neighbors.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Time Use Survey, single Americans spend on average 12 minutes a day staying in touch with other people by calling, emailing, or mailing them. Married people spend on average 7.8 minutes a day keeping in touch.

Klinenberg explains that, despite extraordinary external pressure that can lead to self-doubt, being single doesn't condemn someone to a life of feeling lonely or isolated.

"On the contrary, the evidence suggests that people who live alone compensate by becoming more socially active than those who live with others, and that cities with high numbers of singletons enjoy a thriving public culture," he writes.

Single people tend to spend more time on leisure

Whether conducted in solitude or with other people, singles tend to spend more time on overall leisure activities than married people.

According to the BLS, single people spend on average 5.56 hours a day on overall leisure activities, compared to married people, who spend an average 4.87 hours a day on leisure.

Broken down even further, single people spend on average about three minutes more a day participating in sports, exercise, and recreation than married people, about 16 minutes more a day watching TV, and about 15 minutes more a day playing games and on leisurely computer use.

Being single results in a pay premium for women

A recent study conducted by W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, and Robert Lerman, an economics professor at American University, suggests that women see bigger salaries when they're single compared to their married counterparts.

While the study authors did not consider these findings statistically significant, single women between 28 and 30 years old earn $1,349 more per year in individual income compared to their married counterparts. And single women between 44 and 46 years old make $1,465 more than married women of the same age range.

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Single men tend to work fewer hours than married men

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The same study authors also found that single men between 28 and 30 work 441 fewer hours outside the home per year than do their married peers, while men between 44 and 46 work 403 fewer hours if they are single.

As Salaky reported, a survey by Amerisleep found that single people get the most sleep — an average of 7.13 hours a night — compared to people in relationships, widowers, engaged folks, married folks, divorcees, and separated people.